In Character
by JulesFire
Summary: The Titans are bored on a rainy day. Star finds a copy of Much Ado About Nothing and they end up acting it out, but Robin and Star get a bit too into their parts... sorry about using Shakespeare. I just love this play, is all. ONESHOT!


_I realize this must be a little confusing for someone who's never read this play before. I'll sum up the important part: Beatrice and Benedick (Do NOT laugh at the name) are evenly matched in wit and stubbornness. They had both pledged to never marry, as they do not want to compromise their independence and claim to have never met anyone worth marrying. Every time they see each other, they trade clever insults and heated banter, and their friends notice that there may be something there other than hostility. So, they stage conversations within earshot of both, making each one believe that the other loves them. This, of course, causes them to reveal their true feelings – that they've pretty much been in love the whole time. It's a great story; you should read it if you haven't. Anyway..._

_Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Titans or Shakespeare. I do own the Complete Works of Shakespeare. Yes, I know, I'm a nerd. Leave me alone._

"Robin?" Surprised by her plaintive tone, Robin turned to look at Starfire, who was squinting in confusion at the book she held sideways up to her eyes. "I am afraid this piece of literature baffles me. I have acquired the vocabulary and structure of contemporary English and procured as many idioms as my memory allows, yet I find myself confused about the meanings in this work." Robin glanced at the title and laughed. _Much Ado About Nothing_, by William Shakespeare. The Titans did have a library; it came with the tower, stocked with all the classics of great literature in the hope that they would all read on a regular basis. The problem was, Raven was the only one who ever went in there. The only thing that had driven Star in there was the fact that it was raining, Robin was going over his files, and there was nothing better to do. She had picked a book at random, but was now wishing that she had been more selective.

"That's Shakespeare, Star. I don't think anyone understands it."

"I do," Raven corrected from the other side of the room without looking up from her game of chess with Cyborg. Beast Boy had turned himself into a wallaby and was doing some sort of polka to try and distract her from seeing Cy's unprotected queen. It didn't work.

Robin rolled his eyes. "I meant most people don't," he amended, wishing Raven would be more cooperative. "Although I did see this particular play performed once in the park. It's easier to understand when you hear it spoken out loud, for some reason." Starfire's eyes lit up. "Than that is what we shall do!" Seeing his confusion, she explained, clasping her hands joyfully. "We shall read the parts aloud, as if in a play, and then I will understand!"

Not every girl could get Robin to agree to spend his rainy Saturday performing Shakespeare. Not every girl was Starfire. He took one look at her beseeching expression and caved. Pulling rank, he removed the others from the chess game and assigned parts, trying to remember how the story went. He gave Star the part of Beatrice and took the other leading role, Benedick, for himself. Raven was all of the remaining female roles, and the rest of the male roles were divided among Cyborg and Beast Boy. It actually went pretty well. Sometimes Beast Boy would be too busy hamming up his lines to remember an entrance or exit, and Robin would be so absorbed in looking at Star during their scenes together that he frequently forgot to talk; however, ashamed as they would all be to admit it, they were all having fun. Robin couldn't remember the last time he'd laughed so much in one afternoon.

Starfire was brilliant. The minute she spoke the words aloud, she was entranced by the language. As she read her lines, her eyes sparkled and each word dripped with emotion. She sank comfortably into the character, and became just as witty, fiery, and flirty as Beatrice was. With the way she was looking at him now, he figured she must really be in character. That was 'Beatrice' looking at 'Benedick' with defiant love and ardent longing, not Starfire looking at Robin. But as long as they were pretending, Robin let himself believe that it was him that she was falling in love with, and that those sexy glances were not a component of her superior acting skills. He noticed her looking at him and realized that she had spoken her line and was waiting for his. He glanced at the page, blushed slightly, and spoke.

"Do you not love me?"

"Why, no!" answered 'Beatrice' with feigned disinterest. "No more than reason."

Robin-Benedick was taken aback. "Why then your uncle, and the prince, and Claudio have been deceived, for they swore you did."

"Do you not love me?" Star-Beatrice shot back with a half-grin, enjoying the banter.

"Troth, no; no more than reason!" exclaimed Robin-Benedick, unable to keep from smiling slightly although it was out of character at the moment.

"Why, then my cousin, Margaret, and Ursula are much deceived, for they did swear you did."

The argument went on that way until Beast Boy and Raven, as Benedick's best friend and Beatrice's cousin, came on the scene and produced letters and poems the two had written about each other, proving the true feelings of the bickering pair. Robin held up his imaginary sonnet to 'Beatrice' and grinned.

"A miracle! Here's our own hands against our hearts. Come! I will have thee, but, by this light I take thee for pity!"

Star giggled. "I would not deny you, but, by this good day, I yield upon great persuasion; and partly to save your life, as I was told you were in consumption!" She tipped up her chin slightly, laughing as her character tried to salvage her last ounce of pride.

"Peace!" laughed 'Benedick,' grasping 'Beatrice' playfully under her chin. "I will stop your mouth..." And then Benedick kissed Beatrice.

It was a few moments before they realized that it wasn't Benedick kissing Beatrice; it was Robin kissing Starfire. Starfire's eyes had closed automatically, popped open in shock, then slowly slid closed again. She leaned forward slightly, her nose bumping against his for a moment before she deepened the kiss, laughing at her own awkwardness against his lips. It took Robin a split second longer to process what was going on, but as soon as Star pressed into him he felt his arms close around her. They both sighed into each other's mouths at the same moment, giving up their last pretense that this was all part of their act. Robin inched her backwards until her legs bumped into the couch. She moved her arms behind her and grasped the edge of the couch to keep from falling as he tightened his hold on her waist. Eventually Beast Boy and Cyborg got bored of laughing at Robin, since he wasn't paying attention to anything outside of Starfire. Beast Boy chucked the book at them, but it was stopped at the last minute by a shield of black. Raven grabbed them both by the ear and dragged them over to the chessboard, leaving Robin and Star to finish their scene.


End file.
